Steam steering apparatus



4 G N A L C P STEAM STEERING APPARATUS.-

No. 425,036. Patented Apr. 8, 1890.

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(No Model.)-

F. G. LANG. STEAM STBERING'APPARATUS.

Patented Apr. 8, 1890..

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BY mum M ATTORNEY (No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 3.

P. G. LANG. STEAM STEERING APPARATUS.

,Nq. 425,036. Patented Apr. 8, 1890.

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P. 0* LANG. STEAM STEERING APPARATUS.

.No. 425,036. Patented Apr. 8, 1890.

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, UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.-

FREDERICK G. LANG, OF HOBOKEN, NEV JERSEY.

STEAM STEERING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 425,036, dated April 8, 1890.

Application filed April 15, 1889.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK O. LANG, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Hoboken, in the county of Hudson and State of New Jersey, have invented a newand useful Improvement in Steam Steering Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in steam steering apparatus, and has for its object to provide means which can be readily applied to Vessels, and whereby the actual movement of the steering-gear, and especially that of the pilot-wheel, remains the same as before, while the power for actuating the rudder is furnished by a suitable engine.

To the above end my invention consists, essentially, in combining with the rudder and the pilot-wheel a double-acting enginehavin g a valve connected at opposite ends with the pilot-wheel and a piston connected at opposite sides with the rudder, said piston following the stroke of the valve, all of which is more fully pointed out in the following specification and claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 represents a plan view of the general arrangement of the apparatus on shipboard. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section of the engine in the plane no 00, Fig. 6, said figure being drawn to a larger scale than the pre- Fig. 3 is a plan or top view of the engine with the steam-chest, valve-seat, and valve removed. Fig. i is asection in the same plane as Fig. 2, showing the valve in a different position from Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a plan view of the valve-seat. Fig. 6 isa transverse section in the plane yr y, Fig. 4. Fig. '7 is a face view of the valve.

Similar letters and figures indicate corresponding parts.

In the drawings, referring at present to Figs. 2, 4, and 6, the letter A designates the cylinder of the engine.

B is the piston, provided with two rods 0 and D, passing through suitable stuffingboxes on the oppositecylinder-heads.

E is the steam-chest, secured to one side of the cylinder and extending throughout the length of the same, steam being admitted thereto through a suitable pipe F, Fig. 6.

On the wall of the cylinder within the Serial No. 307,245. (No model.)

steam-chest is formed a seat a, containing longitudinal induction-ports 1 and 2 and an exhaust-port 3. The induction-ports 1 and 2 extend, approximately, throughout the length of the cylinder and enter the bore of the same at opposite ends. The exhaust-port 3 3 especially) is approximately of the same length as the induction-ports 1 and 2 and communicates with an exhaust-pipe G, as usual. The ports 1, 2, and 3 are in the shape of grooves cut into the face of the seat a and areopen throughout their whole length.

To the seat 0 is fitted a valve-seat II, or what might be termed a false seat, the inner face of which covers all the ports 1, 2, and 3, and is provided with short transverse passages 4, 5, and 6, (Fig. 5 especially,) aligned with respect to the ports 1, 2, and 3, said passages being grouped about the center of the seat. The valve-seatl-I passes through suitable stuifing-boxes in the steam-chest E, and is connected with the piston B by any suitable means. In the example illustrated in the drawings I have shown the ends of the valveseat bolted to cross-heads b b, coupled to the piston-rods 0 cl, so that the said seat participates in the movement of the piston.

To the outer face of the valve-seat H is fitted a valve I, which may be in the form of an ordinary D-valve. It is provided with two stems c and d, passing through suitable stuffing-boxes on the steam-chest. The valve is of such breadth as to cover all the transverse passages 4, 5, and 6 in the valve-seat.

In Fig. 2 I have shown the valve in its central position-that is, in a position to cover both induction-passages 4 and 5. If the valve is now moved in the direction of arrow 10, Fig. 2, to the position shown in Fig. 4, live steam is admitted into the cylinder A through induction-passage 4 and induction-port 1, and

by step, its stroke being always determined by that of the valve. If the valve is moved in the opposite direction to open port 2, the piston moves in the opposite direction to arrow 10, Fig. 4.

Suitable stops 7 and 8 may be arranged on the valve-seat to limit the stroke of the valve I to that necessary for completely opening either of the induction-ports l or 2. These stops may be arranged on the valve-rod external to the steam-chest. If the piston 13, owing to its momentum, carries the valveseat too far in one direction, the effect will be only to open the opposite induction-port and admit steam on the, opposite side of the piston to return the same. I11 general the length of stroke of the piston is the same as that of the valve.

In Fig. 1 I have illustrated the general arrangement of the apparatus on shipboard. In this diagram, T is then'udder; IV, the pilotwheel or its equivalent; A, the engine; R the tiller-rope, and R the wheel-rope. The wheel-rope R passes over suitable pulleys r, and its ends are connected with the respective valve-rods e (Z of the engine, which latter is best placed transversely to the length of the vessel. The tiller-rope R passes over suitable pulleys r, and its respective ends are connected with the piston-rods C D of the engine. The tiller-rope is preferably wound around and secured to a horizontal wheel or drum K, attached to the rudderpost. In the diagram the rudder is shown amidships, and consequently the piston B is in its central position, (see Fig. 2,) as also the valve I. If the wheel \V is turned to the right or in the direction of arrow 12, the valve I is moved in the direction of arrow 10 to, say, the position shown in Fig. 1, whereby the piston B is moved in the same direction and the rudder is turned in the direction of arrow 13, Fig. 1, to the position shown by dotted lines. The rudderis held in this position, since any movement of the piston will open the passage of steam through the opposite port, as hercinbefore described.

\Vhat I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a steam steering apparatus,a cylinder 1 provided with longitudinal ports, a valveseat having transverse passages and connected with the piston to have the same travel, a valve controlling the passages in the valveseat and connected with the ropes or chains from the pilot-wheel, and a piston connected with the ropes from the rudder,substantially as described.

2. In a steam steering apparatus, an engine having its piston provided with two rods projecting through opposite cylinder-heads, a valve-seat connected with one or both pistonrods, and a valve provided with two stems projecting through opposite ends of the steamchest, the said piston-rods being connected with the ropes or chains from the rudder, and the valve-stems with the ropes or chains from the pilot-wheel, substantially as described.

3. In an engine, a cylinder having longitudinal induction and exhaust ports opening throughout their length into the steam-chest, a valve-seat having transverse passages arranged to communicate with said ports, and a valve controlling said passages,substantially as described.

at. In an engine, a cylinder provided with longitudinal ports, a valve-seat having transverse passages and connected with the piston to have the same travel, and a valve controlling the passages in the steam-chest, substantially as described.

5. In an engine, a cylinder provided with a seat having induction and exhaust ports extending throughout the length of the cylinder and opening throughout their length into the steam-chest, a valve-seat closing said ports and having short transverse passages arranged to communicate with said ports, and a valve controlling the passages, substantially as described.

6. The combination, with a cylinder provided with a seat having longitudinal induction-ports extending throughout the length of the cylinder and entering the same at opposite ends, of an exhaust-port, a valve-seat closing said ports and having short transverse passages arranged in line with the sa1ne,a valve controlling said passages, and stops for limiting the stroke of the valve, substantially as described.

7. The combination, with acylinder and its piston provided with two rods projecting through opposite cylinder-heads, of a stationary steam-chest, a valve-seat connected with I one or both of the piston-rods, and a valve provided with two stems projecting through opposite heads of the stean'i-ehcst,substantiall y as descrilmd.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as myinvention I have signed my name, in presence of two witnesses, this 11th day of April, 1889.

FREDERICK U. LANG.

\Vitnesses:

A. Fnnnn DU FAUR, J12, CHAs. W. 'lnoMAs. 

